Compulsory Modules

Semester 1

The module looks includes a study of information theory in which students engage models for understanding concepts that include data, pattern, similarity of differences, information, structure, design, and communication. Students also explore the history and technology of the internet and the web, the communication models that have grown from them, and the relationship between these channels and the production, delivery, sharing and sale of information. The model includes a practical element in which students work with various software tools to engage with tools and technologies for information design/presentation; this includes background to the main types of information software available and some of the principles that inform them.

Semester 2

This module provides students with a toolkit for the analysis of the moving image and aims to provide students with a technical vocabulary to enable them to analyse and to discuss how films communicate meaning. The individual elements of this toolkit are analysed in detail. Lectures cover topics such as: Mise-en-Scene, Editing, Camerawork, Sound, Lighting, and Style. Weekly screenings illustrate relevant aspects of film form.
Films to be screened may include: A Man Escaped (Bresson, 1956), The Innocents (Clayton, 1961), City of God (Meirelles, 2002), Atonement (Wright, 2007), Bourne Ultimatum (Greengrass, 2007). The Red Shoes (Powell & Pressburger, 1948), and Moulin Rouge! (Luhrman, 2001)

40 credits from:

This first semester course, aimed at post-GCSE or post-A Level candidates, intends to consolidate and expand the students' knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through exposure to a variety of texts, ranging from newspaper articles to literary extracts, differing in register and style (to include very colloquial and very formal examples). Written (including translation) skills will be consolidated; oral and aural skills will also be emphasised through classes in which students watch/listen to extracts from films/TV or radio programmes and are encouraged to discuss and analyse their contents.
Core Texts
Morena, Antonio, Donatella Melucci, Annamaria Moneti & Graziana Lazzarino, Da Capo, 7th edition (international edition), (Boston: Heinle Cengage Learning: 2011).
Webpages:
www.rainews.it
www.repubblica.it
Any other learning resources:
Writing classes dossier;
Self-study portfolio;
Lingu exercises.

This second semester course intends to keep consolidating and expanding the students' knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through exposure to a variety of texts, ranging from newspaper articles to literary extracts, differing in register and style (to include very colloquial and very formal examples). Oral and Aural skills will also be emphasised through special classes in which students watch/listen to extracts from films/TV or radio programmes and are encouraged to discuss and analyse their contents.
Core Text:
Morena, Antonio, Donatella Melucci, Annamaria Moneti & Graziana Lazzarino, Da Capo, 7th edition (international edition), (Boston: Heinle Cengage Learning: 2011).
Webpages:
www.rainews.it
www.repubblica.it
Any other learning resources:
Writing classes dossier;
Self-study portfolio;
Lingu exercises.

40 credits from:

This is a module running in semester 1 aimed at absolute beginners. This module intends to make students become familiar with the basic structures of the language in order to enable them to express themselves, both orally and in writing, on very simple topics related to everyday life situations. The textbook adopted for this course is 'Spazio Italia 1' (Loescher Editore). This particular text has been selected for its communicative approach to language teaching which, in conjunction with a more traditional approach to grammar, allows students to speed up their progress in all the four essential language learning skills of speaking, reading, listening and writing.
Key Texts:
Diaco, Mimma Flavia & Maria Gloria Tommasini, Spazio Italia 1, (Torino: Loescher Editore, 2011).
Diaco, Mimma Flavia & Maria Gloria Tommasini, Spazio Italia 3, (Torino: Loescher Editore, 2011).
Webpages:
www.rainews.it
www.repubblica.it
Any other learning resources: Lingu exercises

This module is aimed at all first year students who have completed Italian for Beginners 1. The module aims to develop the basic oral, aural and written communicative skills acquired in semester 1 in order to bring students up to and beyond a level of proficiency equivalent to 'A' level. Students apply the grammatical principles learned in semester 1 to extended pieces of writing and also focus on more complex grammatical structures. Aural communicative skills are developed through audio and video tape comprehension exercises and students are required to make individual presentations on more sophisticated topics.
Key Texts:
Diaco, Mimma Flavia & Maria Gloria Tommasini, Spazio Italia 1, (Torino: Loescher Editore, 2011).
Diaco, Mimma Flavia & Maria Gloria Tommasini, Spazio Italia 3, (Torino: Loescher Editore, 2011).
Webpages:
www.rainews.it
www.repubblica.it
Any other learning resources: Lingu exercises

Optional Modules

20 credits from:

The Basics of Writing a News Story; How to write Intros, Drop Intros, Lively Intros; What makes a good news story?; Where do stories come from?; How to build a contacts book; How to conduct an interview; Writing for TV and Radio; Colour and Feature Writing; An Introduction to Shorthand; How to deal with breaking news.

In "Creating Narratives" you will have the opportunity to investigate, and participate in, a variety of creative activites relating to the production of fiction. You will be able to develop an awareness of issues connected with the writing and consumption of fiction (e.g.creative, cultural and technological issues), and discover how cultural norms and assumptions, and individually writerly actions, influence fiction writing choice and fiction readerships. You will look at contemporary fiction writing around the world in a variety of media, and consider the role of publishers and readers in the creative process.

This module is an introduction to the basic underlying principles of screenwriting. It introduces students to key features of writing for film, and assesses them on their analyses of the screenplay form, plus the writing of a screenplay and treatment, and the pitching of an original concept. Students will primarily focus on writing for the short film format in order to facilitate their assessed short film screenplay assignment.
Lectures will deliver various aspects of screenwriting, broken down week-by-week so that students can digest specific aspects of the craft of screenwriting. These include script formatting, style, structure, genre, plotting, characterisation and dialogue. Students will also learn how to present their work in the form of industry treatments and outlines, as well as techniques for outlining a concept orally, in the form of a film pitch. Students will be encouraged to develop professional writing habits and to give and receive critically constructive comment and advice.
Seminar time will be spent discussing aspects of screenwriting, screened short films, as well as providing an opportunity for students to carry out creative screenwriting tasks in groups. Students will also be encouraged to critically peer evaluate the work of their cohort, and to analyse published screenplays, applying knowledge gained in the lecture. Students will also be required to read portions of screenplay extracts from published work prior to the seminars and lectures (uploaded to Blackboard) in order to analyse them during the seminars.

This course will introduce students to the basic skills and techniques which will enable them to explore the principles of media production through creative work. Students will work in groups to produce two short media texts, using broadcast standard equipment. Students will also be taught how to analyse their own work within the context of theory, and to establish a relationship between media production theory and practice.

What is performance?
What are all the elements involved in a performance?
The historical and cultural legacy of selected theatre traditions.
How selected theatre traditions challenged and enhanced the notion of performance and the theatre.

What is performance?
What are all the elements involved in a performance?
The historical and cultural legacy of selected theatre traditions.
How selected theatre traditions challenged and enhanced the notion of performance and the theatre.

• Introduction to the key techniques and methods used for performing for the stage and screen
• Exploring the psychological, physical and vocal understanding of actor’s training
• Investigating the historical and cultural legacy of selected performing traditions.

Compulsory Modules

Semester 1

This course intends to consolidate and expand the students' knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through exposure to a variety of texts ranging from newspaper articles to literary extracts, differing in register and style (to include very colloquial and very formal examples). Oral and aural skills will also be emphasised through special classes in which students watch/listen to extracts from films/TV or radio programmes and are encouraged to discuss and analyse their content. Students will also study materials that provide insight into Italian civilisation in the target language.
Key Text:
De Rome, Denise, Soluzioni: A Practical Grammar of Contemporary Italian, (London&New York: Routledge, 2010).
Webpages:
www.rainews.it
www.repubblica.it
Any other learning resources:
Writing classes dossier;
Self-study portfolio.

Semester 2

This course intends to consolidate and expand the students' knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through exposure to a variety of texts ranging from newspaper articles to literary extracts, differing in register and style (to include very colloquial and very formal examples). Oral and aural skills will also be emphasised through special classes in which students watch/listen to extracts from films/TV or radio programmes and are encouraged to discuss and analyse their content. Students will also study materials that provide insight into Italian civilisation in the target language.
Key Text:
De Rome, Denise, Soluzioni: A Practical Grammar of Contemporary Italian, (London&New York: Routledge, 2010).
Webpages:
www.rainews.it
www.repubblica.it
Any other learning resources:
Writing classes dossier;
Self-study portfolio.

Optional Modules

60 credits from:

This course starts by presenting and critiquing the concept of risk, and the development of the field of risk communication. It then examines two key theorists of the 'risk society', namely Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens, to explore sociological theoretical foundations that explain inter-relationships of risk, trust, expertise and mass-mediated communication. Building on this theoretical lens, it then moves to examine journalism, risk and trust, looking at patterns of risk reporting in different aspects of the press. In-depth analysis of specific risk issues and their journalistic communication are examined, ranging from health risks like 'mad cow' disease to security risks like terrorism.

The lectures will initially focus on the history of radio as a specific medium, with a particular focus on Wales and the UK, as well as a broader international perspective. Different radio production methods will then be examined, and subsequently different programme genres, with specific examples being studied. The theoretical aspects of the module culminate in a broad conceptual review of the nature of the medium and how this is changing in the digital age. The practical workshops will run concurrently, with the students revising and developing generic production skills at the beginning of the course, before planning, researching and producing their own individual productions. These will be informed by the study of production methods, genres and programmes introduced in the lectures.

During the first half of the module students will be given formal instruction in both documentary theory and media practice. This part of the module will examine the ways in which theoretical viewpoints influence the work of practitioners. It will also give students instruction in advanced production techniques, building upon the techniques learnt as part of UXS 1038 Introduction to Media Practice. In addition, the workshop sessions held during the first part of the course will allow students to undertake pre-production work on their final projects, in consultation with the tutors.
During the second half of the semester, students will not be expected to attend weekly timetabled sessions. Students will undertake independent study during this period, using the time to develop and produce their final production project. Tutors will provide support, by appointment.

This module is designed to develop knowledge and skills in writing for film, and introduces key stylistic and textual characteristics of writing for television. The module provides an overview of television writing, separated into television drama and the situation comedy, and outlines the specific demands of these formats for screenwriters. Students are then assessed on their own original television concept in the form of a treatment and screenplay extract, plus a short critical and reflective essay.
The course then goes on to present advanced theories of writing for film - developing concepts of characterisation, structure, genre, visual storytelling and the use of dialogue and action. Students will be encouraged to engage with formal screenwriting concepts such as the three-act structure, genre tropes, active protagonists and plot resolutions. However, they will also be expected to interrogate and challenge these elements of screenwriting craft, and are expected to display this engagement in their assessed work. Students will be assessed on their own original film concept in the form of a treatment and screenplay extract (for a short film or feature film), plus a critical and reflective essay.
Lectures will deliver various features of writing for television and film, using screenings as contextual support material. Lectures will initially present some basic concepts of screenwriting such as script formatting, style, structure, genre, plotting, characterisation and dialogue, before moving on to deal specifically with television drama, situation comedy, the short film and the feature film.
Seminar time will be spent discussing various aspects of screenwriting outlined in the lectures. Students will be encouraged to engage with, and challenge, elements of the craft of screenwriting, and to carry out creative screenwriting tasks in groups. Students will also critically peer evaluate the work of their cohort, and analyse published screenplays, applying knowledge gained in the lectures. Students will be required to develop professional writing habits and to give and receive critically constructive comment and advice.
Proposed films and television programmes to be screened include:
The Sopranos (Chase, 1999-2007), The Wire (Simon, 2002-08), Red Riding (Jarrold, 2009), The Singing Detective (Potter, 1986), The Prisoner (McGoohan, 1967-68), Oz (Fontana, 1997-2003), Twin Peaks (Frost/Lynch, 1990-91), The IT Crowd (Linehan, 2006- ), Spaced (Wright, 1999-2001), The Office (Gervais/Merchant, 2001-3), Father Ted (Linehan, 1995-8).
The Third Man (Reed, 1949), Brief Encounter (Lean, 1945), The Devil¿s Backbone (Del Toro, 2001), Intacto (Fresnadillo, 2001), Hunger (McQueen, 2008), Dead Man's Shoes (Meadows, 2004), The Sea Inside (Amenábar, 2004), The White Ribbon (Haneke, 2009), Festen (Vinterberg, 1998), Uzak (Ceylan, 2002), Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (Park, 2002), Let the Right One In (Alfredson, 2008), The Road (Hillcoat, 2009), Sexy Beast (Glazer, 2000), No Country for Old Men (Coen, 2007)

This course will look at the development of documentary film, attempting to place important developments within a theoretical context. The course will begin by looking at the way in which the early pioneers of documentary film emerged in the 1920s, and seek to understand the contributions of John Grierson, Robert Flaherty and Dziga Vertov, and the relationship between their work. This will be followed by an examination of the emergence of Direct Cinema and Cinema Verité during the 1960s, and the challenges faced by those attempting to work within observational documentary. The rejection of the purely observational mode of documentary, and the rise of the participatory film-maker will follow, leading on to an examination of reflexive documentaries, the role of dramatisation within documentary film, drama-documentary and docudrama. The final part of the course will look at the influence of new technology upon documentary film, analysing the influence of both computer generated imagery and animation upon documentary film. Specific attention will be paid to the work of film-makers such as Albert and David Maysles, DA Pennebaker, Nick Broomfield, Molly Dineen, Errol Morris, and Kevin MacDonald among others.

Topics that this module will discuss include: the CNN effect; manipulating global news agendas through public diplomacy; war, perception management and bearing witness through global media forms; reporting distant suffering; satellite news wars; the rise of satellite news in the Middle East and the possible rise of an Arab public sphere; and the impact of global news forms on censorship and resistance.

Introduce theoretical and practical research in Contemporary Theatre Practice
Explore advance theatre making methods to create original creative work
Practice Workshop delivery and how to evaluate practice

The course will teach students media law and how to report on the workings of government. They will gain practical experience in reporting from courts, inquests and council meetings. They will also be taught how to write and research news and feature articles, interviewing techniques, and how to cover running stories and elections.

Introduction to site specific performances, conventions and performance practice
Exploring performance in a non-theatre building environment
The historical and cultural legacy of selected performing traditions.

Introduction to site specific performances, conventions and performance practice
Exploring performance in a non-theatre building environment
The historical and cultural legacy of selected performing traditions.

Compulsory Modules

Semester 1

This 30 credit module running throughout the year promotes appropriate use of style and register in all written and oral work and ensures that students can deal with variations in register and idiomatic expression in a confident and accurate manner. Through exposure to selected texts, complex grammatical structures and audiovisual materials, students acquire reading, writing, aural and oral skills which match the required standard of final year linguists.
Webpages:
www.rainews.it
www.repubblica.it
Any other learning resources:
Writing classes dossier;
Translation classes dossier.

Semester 2

This 30 credit module running throughout the year promotes appropriate use of style and register in all written and oral work and ensures that students can deal with variations in register and idiomatic expression in a confident and accurate manner. Through exposure to selected texts, complex grammatical structures and audiovisual materials, students acquire reading, writing, aural and oral skills which match the required standard of final year linguists.
Webpages:
www.rainews.it
www.repubblica.it
Any other learning resources:
Writing classes dossier;
Translation classes dossier.

Optional Modules

40 credits from:

This course starts by presenting and critiquing the concept of risk, and the development of the field of risk communication. It then examines two key theorists of the 'risk society', namely Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens, to explore sociological theoretical foundations that explain inter-relationships of risk, trust, expertise and mass-mediated communication. Building on this theoretical lens, it then moves to examine journalism, risk and trust, looking at patterns of risk reporting in different aspects of the press. In-depth analysis of specific risk issues and their journalistic communication are examined, ranging from health risks like 'mad cow' disease to security risks like terrorism.

Lectures will deliver various discourses on the history and development of adaptations, and interrogate the relationship of various media to film. Lectures will also examine a range of concepts related to adaptation, including authorship, visual storytelling, narratology and intertextuality. These concepts will then be applied to film adaptations screened in the same week.
Seminar time will be spent discussing theories of adaptation, and also provide an opportunity for students to carry out creative adaptation tasks in groups, such as conceiving short film ideas, and developing adaptations from non-literary sources, such as music and photography, and other visual arts.
Students will need to demonstrate an understanding of key theories related to the comparative textual analysis of an adaptation to its source material in assessed essays. However, the module is heavily focused on the creative act and process of adaptation, and offers the chance for students to radically imagine pre-existing texts in other media in their assessed coursework.
Proposed films to be screened include: Adaptation (Jonze, 2002), Throne of Blood (Kurosawa, 1957), American Psycho (Harron, 2000), The Innocents (Clayton, 1961), The Others (Amenábar, 2001), The Watchmen (Snyder, 2009), Don't Look Now (Roeg, 1973), The Shining (Kubrick, 1980), Apocalypse Now (Coppola, 1979), Stalker (Tarkovsky, 1979), Zatoichi (Kitano, 2003), Where the Wild Things Are (Jonze, 2009), La Jetée (Marker, 1962), 12 Monkeys (Gilliam, 1995), Naked Lunch (Cronenberg, 1991), A Cock & Bull Story (Winterbottom, 2005), Elephant (Clarke, 1989), Elephant (Van Sant, 2003), The Five Obstructions (Leth/Von Trier, 2003).

The lectures will initially focus on the history of radio as a specific medium, with a particular focus on Wales and the UK, as well as a broader international perspective. Different radio production methods will then be examined, and subsequently different programme genres, with specific examples being studied. The theoretical aspects of the module culminate in a broad conceptual review of the nature of the medium and how this is changing in the digital age. The practical workshops will run concurrently, with the students revising and developing generic production skills at the beginning of the course, before planning, researching and producing their own individual productions. These will be informed by the study of production methods, genres and programmes introduced in the lectures.

The taught element of this course will provide students with advanced instruction in four elements of short film production
 Video recording
 Sound recording
 Video editing
 Sound editing and dubbing
Supervisory sessions will be tailored to each group's individual needs, and will be mapped out at the beginning of the module, in consultation with each group's individual supervisor. Supervisors will provide students with consistent feedback on their work, and will co-operate with them to identify areas where there is a need for development, providing guidance on how each group, and each individual student, can improve their work through both guided tutoring and student-led learning.

Topics that this module will discuss include: the CNN effect; manipulating global news agendas through public diplomacy; war, perception management and bearing witness through global media forms; reporting distant suffering; satellite news wars; the rise of satellite news in the Middle East and the possible rise of an Arab public sphere; and the impact of global news forms on censorship and resistance.

Introduce theoretical and practical research in Contemporary Theatre Practice
Explore advance theatre making methods to create original creative work
Practice Workshop delivery and how to evaluate practice

Introduction to site specific performances, conventions and performance practice
Exploring performance in a non-theatre building environment
The historical and cultural legacy of selected performing traditions.

Introduction to site specific performances, conventions and performance practice
Exploring performance in a non-theatre building environment
The historical and cultural legacy of selected performing traditions.

Some optional modules may be subject to pre-requisites, please check module pages for further information.

10 credits from:

This module aims to further develop and consolidate translation skills students have acquired in their language courses. By approaching translation as a process, it examines translation at different textual levels, from the lexico-grammatical level such as words and grammar, to the textual-pragmatic level such as cohesion, register and text types. It provides students with a framework to reflect on the translational difficulties in their chosen language pairs and explore strategies and their implications.
Key texts
Baker, Mona. In Other Words: A Coursebook on Translation, 2nd edition (London: Routledge, 2011).
Hatim, Basil and Munday, Jeremy. Translation: an Advanced Resource Book (London: Routledge, 2004).
Students will also require language specific resources such as a bilingual and monolingual dictionaries.

This module provides students with the opportunity to examine a topical issue relevant to one or more countries/regions in which the target language is spoken. The chosen issue will be examined through the prism of the press and media, in order to develop an understanding not only of the specific issue in question, but also of the media landscape of the relevant society. The resulting dossier will comprise the analysis of contrasting media and press types in their coverage of the chosen topic, as well as an assessment of their importance in influencing public opinion. The dossier will be written in the target language, and should contain an appendix of materials which have been examined.
Busà, M. Grazia, Introducing the Language of the News: a Student's Guide (London: Routledge, 2014)
Stevenson, Nick, Understanding Media Cultures: Social Theory and Mass Communication (London; Thousand Oaks: Sage, 1995)
Harrison, Martin, TV news, Whose Bias? : a Casebook Analysis of Strikes, Television and Media Studies (Hermitage, Berks.: Policy Journals, 1985)
Stocchetti Matteo and Karin Kukkonen, Critical Media Analysis: an Introduction for Media Professionals (Frankfurt am Main ; New York: Peter Lang, 2011)
Van Dijk, Teun A., Discourse and Communication: New Approaches to the Analysis of Mass Media Discourse and Communication (Berlin; New York: W. de Gruyter, 1985)
Websites:
This section of SMLC website lists some of the major newspaper, TV and radio sites in German, French, Spanish and Italian media: http://www.bangor.ac.uk/ml/uglinks.php